Opinion piece - Despite Brexit, the UK is the best place in the world to conduct business

Published: 9 September 2019 - Chris Wootton, CEO, Chemigraphic

As the Brexit debate rumbles on, businesses are no closer to understanding exactly what kind of deal, no deal or situation they may face in the coming months: anxiety and frustration are inevitably on the rise within the UK industry.

However, this is far from the first time that the British industry has been tested and, as in any similar time of uncertainty, the best way to progress is by finding the positives, holding our heads up high and weathering the storm.

Ideally placed for business

The UK is in the enviable position of being the best place to do business, globally. That may seem a bold and flawed statement in the current circumstances, but logistically and practically, it is true. Our location and our position within the global working day is ideal: we can talk to China in the morning, Europe during the day and the USA in the afternoon. This central position means that not only can we be fully aware of what’s going on in different locations, but it also makes us an attractive business proposition to others, serving as an anchor point for global deals and operations.

So far, but yet so near

The key to success when dealing with global business challenges is actually to forget about location. If we open up a new location in China, Europe, or the USA, that’s great for the customers and partners we have in those regions. It gives us access to regional price structures and component supplies, and eases transport issues and accessibility.

Yet, in terms of running those operations, distance means, or should mean, nothing, bearing in mind the way in which modern global communication platforms work. The new office or location may physically be in another continent, but logistically, it could just as well be next door. We have to organise processes, shipping and staffing, but the distance we need to cover in those operations doesn’t make a difference: it has to be done, whatever the location.

It’s undeniable that Brexit and other global factors will challenge us as a nation and as businesses, but in terms of how we manage the day to day, it has to be business as usual. We have to know our worth as a global business territory and draw on our strengths in trade, quality and manufacturing. The logistics may present us with different dilemmas in the coming months, but we have the tools to tackle those head on.

We don’t have any other choice.

Chris Wootton is the CEO of the EMS provider, Chemigraphic. For more information on the services they offer, click here.